Ludeman Documents Pertaining to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and Solicitation of Public Comments

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received an application from Uranium One dated December 6, 2011 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System [ADAMS] Accession Number ML120120182). This application requests to amend NRC Source Material License SUA-1341 to construct and operate the Ludeman satellite at the Willow Creek In Situ Recovery site located in Converse County, Wyoming. The NRC staff is conducting an environmental review in accordance with the Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 51 (10 CFR Part 51), which implements the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA). The NRC staff is also conducting a Section 106 review in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (NHPA). NRC staff initiated its consultation under Section 106 for the proposed Ludeman project in August 2012. The staff is now providing documents for public consideration and comment consistent with 36 CFR § 800.4(d)(1).

The area of potential effect (APE) consists of 2,200 acres where proposed ground disturbing activities could occur. The NRC staff consulted with interested Native American Tribes to identify historic properties, specifically ones of religious and cultural significance. The NRC staff also reviewed the information provided by Uranium One in its Ludeman license amendment application. The NRC acknowledges that the Tribes possess special expertise in identifying properties of cultural and religious significance and assessing the significance of these properties to their individual Tribes. The NRC staff invited Tribes to participate in a site visit to gather information on historic properties. Based on the information found in the NRC staff's independent analysis, the NRC staff has preliminarily concluded that there are two sites of historic, cultural, or religious significance to Tribes present in the APE of the proposed Ludeman project site. However, NRC would require by license condition that Uranium One avoid the two eligible sites. The NRC staff has documented its preliminary determination, detailing the Section 106 activities and cultural resources findings, and has included that documentation in the cultural resources sections of the draft Environmental Assessment for the Ludeman project. A document containing those sections is available in the link below.

NRC documentation of its Section 106 review findings. (Cultural Resources sections of draft Environmental Assessment)

NRC is soliciting comments from the public on the document provided above or on the information stated here. NRC staff will accept comments until Thursday July 5, 2018. Please submit your comments by emailing Ashley.Waldron@nrc.gov.